Message from the Dean:

Greetings, friends of the Fort Lewis College School of Business Administration. There has been lots of activity so far this Fall semester, and I am excited to share this update with you. At the risk of stealing some of this update’s thunder, I’d like to congratulate Dr. Michael Valdez on being named the inaugural holder of the Bradley Family Professorship. Not only is this the first endowed professorship in the business school, it is the first endowed professorship at Fort Lewis College. Congratulations also goes to Dr. Elizabeth Cartier on being named this year’s Fort Lewis College Featured Scholar. Both Drs. Valdez and Cartier have much to be proud of as their work has had a tremendous impact on everyone around them.

Our leadership team is growing with the addition of two new Department Chairs. I’d like to welcome Drs. Deborah Walker and Ivan Guardiola to their new roles. Both Drs. Walker and Guardiola are very familiar with the business school and Fort Lewis College, so I am confident they will represent extremely well. Perhaps we will hear from Drs. Walker or Guardiola, or Associate Dean Dr. Paul Clay, in future updates.

As always, I hope you enjoy learning about our activities. Please reach out (selias@fortlewis.edu) to say hello, ask questions, provide feedback, make suggestions, or set up a campus visit (we’d love to see you).

SOBA Leadership: (from left to right) Dr. Steve Elias, Dean, Dr. Paul Clay, Associate Dean, Dr. Deb Walker and Dr. Ivan Guardiola, Department Chairs

Skyhawks! Stop by the Student Union on Friday, October 21st to support your fellow Skyhawks! This market will be filled with lots of various goods including baked goods, body care products, clothing, and much more! If you miss this Makers' Market, don't worry! There will be another one in December.

 

For more information, click the button below! 

Please join faculty members Doug and Chris Lyon on Tuesday, October 4, from 1-2 p.m. in Education/Business Hall Room 118 for an information session on participating in the May / June 2023 study abroad opportunity in France. This experience is open to all students. Take useful courses and accelerate your graduation date while having your best experience in college! 

Help us unlock $1M for Indigenous business students to create the largest scholarship endowment in FLC’s history! Your attendance or donation will support economic development throughout Indigenous communities. Minimum donation of $40/person. All donations to the JSF endowment will be matched dollar-for-dollar. Beer, wine, and heavy hors d’oeuvres to be provided. RSVP by October 16th! 

Grant Compton, expected graduation in December with a degree in Business Administration, minor in Psychology, and Certificate in Ski Resort Operations, was selected for a Student Sponsorship to attend the Colorado Governor’s Tourism Conference in Snowmass, CO.

Insight from Grant:

“I am very grateful to Dr. Lorraine Taylor for making me aware of the application to attend the Colorado Governor’s Tourism Conference. I was presented with every opportunity to network with over 400 attendees from around the state of Colorado and learn more about the tourism and hospitality industry as a whole and specifically in Colorado. Key takeaways from my time at the conference came from the breakout sessions pertaining to championing the value of tourism within the destination and how to best direct tourism during a recession. I learned that listening to the community is a key step to running a successful tourism operation as well as how to define target markets that the recession is least likely to effect and how to market to them. Overall, this amazing experience allowed me to make great connections within the industry and progress my learning in an applicable way for my future.”

The group visited Kurtz Fargo in Boulder,  the Denver offices of Eide Bailly, CliftonLarsonAllen, and Forvis accompanied by accounting faculty, Chris Lyon and Lacey Donley. The office tours give students the opportunity to connect with professionals, many of whom are FLC alumni, and to gain insight into the opportunities and culture of the firms. 

The students have weekly Beta Alpha Psi meetings where accounting firms make a professional presentation and host a reception at a downtown restaurant. They conduct interviews for internship and full-time positions.

Internships for FLC students are plentiful in the post-Covid work environment. Remote internships are becoming the norm, so students can remain on campus and in Durango. In fall 2022, a total of 10 accounting firms will conduct meetings and interviews. In addition, Beta Alpha Psi is planning a get together for accounting professionals in Durango. 

The trip was organized by officers Lewis Stavrowsky, Devonne Blackhorse, Alyssa Begaye, and Kelby Nunley of the student group Beta Alpha Psi. The office tours have been held annually since Chris Lyon joined the faculty in 2002. The trip not only gives students a glimpse into what is likely to be their first professional position, it gives students the opportunity to get to know each other and form a peer group early in the academic year. 

A Message from Dean Steve Elias:

"I am thrilled to report that Gene and Sally Bradley have created the Bradley Family Professorship for SOBA, which is the first endowed professorship in FLC's history. This is a huge testament to all of your efforts and the work we have done over the years to be a top-notch School of Business.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Michael Valdez on being named the inaugural holder of the Bradley Family Professorship.

We will get together soon to celebrate this achievement and Michael’s appointment, but suffice it to say Michael has more than earned this honor. His accomplishments are plenty and his impact has been huge.

Congratulations, Michael!"

Fort Lewis College has shared this great achievement through the article linked below! 

This annual recognition is a selection based upon scholarly achievement for FLC faculty members and given to one Featured Scholar each year. Congratulations to SOBA's very own Dr. Liz Cartier on this nomination and award! 

Liz Cartier's research interests include the critical aspects of power and control, tourism and crisis, and discourse and power. She often researches phenomena that impacts Colorado destinations, such as Durango. Her more recent research focuses on the 416 fire, power in service encounters, and the relationship between 2nd homeownership and tourism-based communities.

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Join Elizabeth Calagias at the Center for Innovation this October for: Start-Up Flex and Stretch!

A weekly series on Thursdays:11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

SR works for Donut Media as a video editor. Tune in to learn what it take to make engaging videos and creative content. Also, learn how to score a super car from the desserts in Dubai!